Moments, Gifts and Who knows What's Around the Corner

Life is so uncertain, so untied down. 

What is here and good and dependable right this moment, may be gone or broken or different tomorrow. All we have is this moment, because we truly do not know what lies ahead of us in this life. 

Who would have thought that we would have had such a strange un-summer this year of 2012?

And that a weather bomb would deluge & tear at our little nation with such ferocity, yanking off roofs, uprooting trees & slashing at the land over the weekend?

I was completely taken aback that number 2 son having come & settled, quite suddenly departed in haste this week, for his own troubled reasons. I'm sure he'll get hungry for real food some week any time soon.

Fortunately the weather held off a little here yesterday morning, allowing just enough time for St Luke's to get through their Church Fair before everything got too miserable. I found this beautiful fishing creel in the antiques department. I wonder who it's belonged to? What adventures it's been carted about on? Perhaps the Willows chaps can shed some light on that one.

At St Vinnie's, on a quick visit, I found this adorable "dog" blanket. Even the label alone is just precious & the colour deeper blue than my pictures...a perfect wedgewood kinda blue.

 It was a pansy week this week..

 these two were forlornly waiting on a table side by side with the tacky riff raff..quite the wrong department for them; velvet backed & lovingly stitched.

 This little brooch was cheap & chipped & therefore so much more useful in it's life well lived-ness.
These darling foxgloves are embroidered in the corners of two serviettes & might be well incorporated in a future creation.

I do love the autumnal revival of pansies & heartsease, the heralding of summers end (as if we didn't know that for ourselves) not particularly fond of the heat, they perk up once more before the chill of days to come.

 Rob bought me these glorious dahlias as we were leaving the fair..so kind of him & the wonderfully generous people who strip their own garden's in order to make their contribution to the corporate endeavour.

 I have found a summer bolster in my own bookshelves. I do love the Brambly Hedge illustrations, so much astonishing attention to detail. This lovely wee book belonged to my Uncle Pete..he's been gone a year now.

 A perfect summer meadow wedding.

 I almost missed the autumn raspberries..

 There are still a few nectarines around. I thought that they matched my op shop scarf find extraordinarily well, don't you think?

 I have sent for more tumeric. I am thinking of new ways to preserve it & eek it out as it comes a kilo at a time. Neither we, nor the courier, suffer any identity confusion now when the parcel arrives addressed to "Keith" I guess that must be what my dear Indian friends hear when I say that it is "Catherine calling form Hastings." Fortunately the street address is always correct.

 I am learning to make apple cider vinegar. I wish someone had told me long ago how simple it was to make. This is it..organic apples..peel & cores, water, jar, time..presto!

 Have you ever seen a tomatillo? (pronounced tom o teo) They are mexican in origin & quite interesting. I like them roasted with peppers the best. Vege rather than a fruit & with faint hints of cape gooseberry flavours when cooked (not sweet though).

 Back to my unpredictability...the child suddenly departed or ill. The unexpected challenges to a marriage or friendship. The horrendous unexpected event...the crushing of my dearest friends husband in a logging accident a month just gone (he is still alive & the badly injured leg has been saved, but will be in hospital a long time yet)...& she who gave me the perfect unblemished journal at the year's beginning.

 And the card of true words & friendship..

 I am so grateful for her & truly blessed by you & your visiting & your reading & your conversation.
Thank you so much for being here..

Truly all we have are moments, this day...

MUCH

 ♥♥♥♥♥